Mei Cai Kou Rou

Method

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1. Rinse the mei cai thoroughly, then soak it in warm water 30 minutes with three changes of water, until no grit remains. Squeeze dry and chop.

   Mark done

2. Simmer the pork belly whole in water 30 minutes, then lift it out and dry it well.

   Mark done

3. Rub the skin with the dark soy sauce and vinegar and leave 10 minutes to dry.

   Mark done

4. Heat the oil in a deep pan and lower the pork in skin down, with a lid ready. Fry 4 minutes, until the skin blisters. Lift it out.

   Mark done

5. Plunge the pork into cold water 10 minutes, which makes the skin wrinkle, then dry it and cut into 1 cm slices.

   Mark done

6. Fry the chopped mei cai with the garlic, ginger and star anise in 2 tbsp of the oil 5 minutes.

   Mark done

7. Add both soy sauces, the wine, sugar, bean curd and water and simmer 5 minutes.

   Mark done

8. Pack the pork slices skin down in a deep heatproof bowl, overlapping, and pile the mei cai and its sauce on top.

   Mark done

9. Steam 2 hours, topping the pan up with boiling water.

   Mark done

10. Pour the collected liquid into a pan, thicken it with the slaked cornflour, then invert the bowl onto a plate, lift it off and pour the sauce over.

    Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Three changes of water on the mei cai. It is salty and gritty.
• A lid ready when the pork goes in the oil — it spits hard.
• Skin down in the bowl. It comes out on top.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Steamed rice
• Blanched greens
• A pot of tea

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 4 days in its bowl. Re-steam 30 minutes.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.